Research & reports
Peer-reviewed research and reports on community urban agriculture, food education, composting, welfare and more.
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Critical findings
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URBAN AND PERI-URBAN VEGETABLE PRODUCTION EFFECTS ON FARMERS’ LIVELIHOODS IN LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA
2023Peter Sanjo Adewale, Sunday Clement Olubunmi Makinde, V. Kusemiju · Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development · Nigeria (Lagos)
This mixed-method study in Lagos State, Nigeria, examined the effects of Urban and Peri-urban Vegetable Production (UPVP) on farmers' livelihood subscales using a Household Livelihood Survey and Focus Group Discussion. The findings indicate that all livelihood subscales (Physical, Natural, Financial, Social, Human) were positively and significantly impacted by UPVP, with a moderately high overall impact. The study concludes that UPVP can be a resilient sector for the economy and sustainable development.
Peri-urban agricultureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareUrban Agriculture Impacts on the Environment of Awka, Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria
2023Odera Chukwumaijem Okafor, Pamela Ogochukwu Mgbenwelu · Trends in Agricultural Sciences · Nigeria
This study investigated the impacts of urban agriculture on the environment of Awka, Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria, using a multi-stage sampling process and analyzing data with descriptive statistics and Spearman's Correlation Coefficient. Findings showed that urban agriculture significantly contributes to the well-being of some city residents by providing revenue, employment, food security, and poverty reduction. The study concluded that urban agriculture should be viewed as a lucrative commercial activity.
Urban–rural linkageClimate changeWelfareEconomicsWhy Home Gardens Fail in Enhancing Food Security and Dietary Diversity
2022Marié J. du Toit, Olivia Rendón, Viktoria Cologna, Sarel S. Cilliers, Martin Dallimer · Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution · South Africa
A case study in a low-income former township area in South Africa, involving 140 home garden owners, found that gardens did not substantially contribute to household food security. Only 10% of households were completely food secure, and dietary diversity was very low. Key constraints included cultural practices, a focus on ornamental plants, and reliance on purchased food.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareEffects of Urban Agriculture Practices on Households’ Livelihoods in Ondo State, Nigeria
2022Oluwole Matthew Akinnagbe, Obadamilola Enitan Ipinmoye · DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) · Nigeria (Ondo State)
This study examined the effects of urban agriculture on households' livelihoods in Ondo State, Nigeria, using a multistage sampling procedure with 150 respondents. Major crops and livestock were leafy vegetables (100.0%) and broiler chickens (57.0%), respectively. The majority (82.0%) of urban agriculture practitioners had no contact with extension agents. Urban agriculture significantly improved respondents' standard of living (from 85.0% to 98.0%) and saving patterns (from 66.7% to 100.0%), and also led to improved knowledge.
EconomicsWelfareCommunityStrengthening Vegetable Production and Consumption in a Kenyan Informal Settlement: A Feasibility and Preliminary Impact Assessment of a Sack Garden Intervention
2022Alexandra Zivkovic, Emily V. Merchant, Thomas Nyawir, Daniël J. Hoffman, James E. Simon, Shauna Downs · Current Developments in Nutrition · Kenya (Nairobi)
A feasibility and preliminary impact assessment of sack gardens for women in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, involving 21 participants in 2018-2019, found reduced household food insecurity. However, key barriers included insufficient inputs and difficulties in group work, particularly communication. The study suggests sack gardens may partially improve diet quality, but further research is needed on household income impact.
Governance failureWelfareCommunityFood sovereignty & justiceDisability-inclusive community development: A case of a community garden in Limpopo province in South Africa
2022Brian Tigere, Theresa Moyo · African Journal of Disability · South Africa
A qualitative study in rural Limpopo province, South Africa, examined the role of community gardens in uplifting persons with disabilities and their communities. Using face-to-face interviews with 21 participants, including people with disabilities and government officials, the study found that community gardens contributed to the economic and social well-being of persons with disabilities by providing income and creating jobs. The study recommends a disability access audit to address accessibility challenges.
CommunityWelfareEconomicsThe urban poor: profile and constraints affecting their participation in allotment gardens
2022Mawuna Donald Houessou, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld, Augustin K. N. Aoudji, Fréjus THOTO, D. J. Snelder, Anselme Adégbidi, Tjard de Cock Buning · Development in Practice · Benin
A survey of 88 urban poor individuals in Benin investigated their profiles and constraints affecting participation in allotment gardens. Findings revealed low educational and income levels, overcrowded and unsanitary housing, and limited access to social services and health facilities among the participants. Furthermore, 76% of them experienced food insecurity, and engaging them in allotment gardens was constrained by requirements for farming skills, financial capital, and safety issues.
Equity & displacementWelfareCommunityEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceThe invisible crisis: the determinants of local food insecurity in Gauteng municipalities, South Africa
2022Adrino Mazenda, Nonkosazana Molepo, Tinashe Mushayanyama, Saul Ngarava · British Food Journal · South Africa (Gauteng)
This quantitative cross-section study estimated the determinants of household food insecurity in the Gauteng City-Region, South Africa, using binary logistic regression on 13,616 observations from the Gauteng City-Region Observatory Quality of Life 2020/2021 data. The main findings highlight unemployment, health status, education, household size, indigency, and income as the primary determinants of food insecurity. Further studies are needed for an in-depth assessment of household coping mechanisms, the influence of government social grants, and access to credit.
HealthPolicyEconomicsWelfare‘I lost my job suddenly, but I was prepared’: the significance of urban and peri-urban agriculture in Benin City, Nigeria
2022Emaediong Uko, Tony Binns, Etienne Nel · Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems · Nigeria (Benin City)
This study investigated the significance of urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) in Benin City, Southern Nigeria. Field-based data, collected using qualitative research methods (observation, in-depth interviews, and questionnaire surveys), revealed that in the context of unpredictable and frequent economic shocks, households across all socio-economic levels significantly depend on food production activities. This dependence serves not only for immediate survival but also as a means of reducing household vulnerability and building resilience against future shocks.
EconomicsWelfareFood sovereignty & justiceUrban–rural linkageHousehold Dietary Patterns and Food Security Challenges in Peri-Urban South Africa: A Reflection of High Unemployment in the Wake of Rising Food Prices
2022Gamuchirai Chakona · · South Africa
A study surveyed 314 randomly selected households in four peri-urban settlements in South Africa to assess dietary diversity and food security. Findings revealed generally low dietary diversity and high levels of food insecurity across all sites, with male-headed households experiencing worse conditions than female-headed households. Food insecurity was linked to high poverty, unemployment, and low education levels.
Equity & displacementFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePeri-urban agricultureEconomicsThe role of urban vegetable production in Jos (Nigeria) as a source of livelihood
2021Solomon Wuyep, Isaac Tebogo Rampedi, AP Ifegbesan · African Journal of Food Agriculture Nutrition and Development · Nigeria (Jos)
This study assessed the role of urban vegetable production as a source of livelihood for 94 small-scale farmers in Jos, Nigeria, by randomly selecting 40% of urban vegetable farmers and using questionnaire-administered interviews with a mixed-method approach. Results indicated that vegetable farming provides 84% part-time and 5% full-time employment opportunities and reduces food insecurity among participants. However, lack of credit facilities, seasonal variations, and high costs of farm inputs and equipment were identified as serious problems, and small-scale urban farming also entailed negative environmental impacts that could undermine long-term sustainability.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareThe Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Food Security in Rural and Urban Settlements in Benin: Do Allotment Gardens Soften the Blow?
2021Mawuna Donald Houessou, Annemijn Cassee, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld · Sustainability · Benin
A Rapid Food Security Appraisal was conducted among 240 rural and urban dwellers in southern Benin to evaluate the effects of the COVID-19 ‘cordon sanitaire’ on food consumption. The pandemic affected food security pillars in both rural and urban areas, with the steepest decline observed among those inside the cordon sanitaire, particularly rural producers and urban inhabitants without allotment gardens. Increased food prices, logistics disruptions, and movement restrictions were cited as reasons, while access to allotment gardens effectively mitigated the crisis for households.
CommunityHealthWelfareSAVINGS MOBILIZATION ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION AMONG PERI-URBAN HOUSEHOLDS IN KWALI AND BWARI AREA COUNCILS F.C.T ABUJA, NIGERIA
2021Juliana Ojochide Olori, Ogechi Cordelia Nwahia, F. Siewe · Agricultural Social Economic Journal · Nigeria (Abuja)
A study analyzed savings mobilization for poverty alleviation among 185 peri-urban farming households in Kwali and Bwari Area Councils, Abuja, Nigeria, using cross-sectional primary data. The analysis revealed a poverty incidence of 49%, a poverty depth of 28%, and a poverty severity of 56% among the households. Findings indicated that primary occupation and education reduced the likelihood of not being poor but increased the likelihood of being very poor.
Economic viabilityWelfareEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureImpact of small scale irrigation technology on women empowerment in Amhara national regional state of Ethiopia
2020· Cogent Economics & Finance · Ethiopia
Analyses how small-scale irrigation technology affects women's empowerment, including control over household resources, income and decision-making.
DIYWelfareRepurposing support tendered youth owned Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises in urban agri-business sector in Durban
2020Tony Ngwenya, Pfano Mashau · Problems and Perspectives in Management · South Africa (Durban)
This study investigated institutional support for youth-owned Small, Medium, and Micro-Enterprises (SMMEs) in Durban's urban agribusiness sector using a quantitative methodology. Findings indicated that CSR interventions had not yielded a fundamental impact, and there was a lack of tangible, result-driven institutional support from policymakers and authorities. Furthermore, targeted technological transfer was a constraining factor, and a lack of monetary and non-monetary access hampered the SMMEs' competitiveness and profitability.
Governance failureEconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceWelfarePolicyDoes Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Contribute to Household Food Security? An Assessment of the Food Security Status of Households in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality
2019Nolwazi Z. Khumalo, Melusi Sibanda · Sustainability · South Africa
This paper assessed the food security status of 208 households (109 urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) practicing, 99 non-UPA practicing) in Tongaat, eThekwini Municipality, South Africa. While a greater proportion (54%) of UPA practicing households consumed more than six food groups compared to non-UPA households (40%), a Mann-Whitney U test (U = 5292, p = 0.808) found no significant difference in dietary diversity between the two groups. Employment status, access to arable land, land tenure, and household monthly income were significantly associated with food security status.
Food sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsPeri-urban agricultureThe potential of urban agriculture towards a more sustainable urban food system in food-insecure neighbourhoods in Cape Town and Maputo
2019Nicole Paganini, Stefanie Lemke, Inês Raimundo · ECONOMIA AGRO-ALIMENTARE · Sub-Saharan Africa
This research explored the potential of urban agriculture in Cape Town, South Africa, and Maputo, Mozambique, through two baseline surveys among urban farmers and home gardeners, as well as qualitative in-depth interviews. Findings indicated that urban farmers and home gardeners add nutrients and diversity to their diets and can partly contribute to their income. However, in Cape Town, main challenges included access to local and external markets, fair pricing, and sovereignty in production.
Economic viabilityFood sovereignty & justiceWelfareEconomicsCommunityCultivating Social Cohesion: Urban Gardens and Social Capital among Internally Displaced Populations in Maiduguri
2019Chinwe Okonkwo, A. Bello · Open MIND · Nigeria (Maiduguri)
This study investigated the role of urban community gardening programs in generating social capital among 312 internally displaced persons in Maiduguri, Nigeria. A cross-sectional survey across three displacement-affected wards measured bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. Participation in community gardens was significantly associated with increased bonding and bridging social capital, with 78% of respondents forming new trusted relationships across ethnic or village backgrounds. Frequency of garden participation positively predicted perceived community solidarity.
CommunityWelfareHealthWomen's agricultural practices and their effects on soil nutrient content in the Nyalenda urban gardens of Kisumu, Kenya
2019Nicolette Tamara Jonkman, Esmee D. Kooijman, Karsten Kalbitz, Nicky Pouw, Boris Jansen · SOIL · Kenya (Kisumu)
This study in Nyalenda urban gardens, Kisumu, Kenya, investigated how female farmers' knowledge and practices influence soil nutrient status. Soil analysis revealed that intercropped fields had significantly lower total soil nutrients than fields with only manure, despite cowpeas theoretically increasing soil N. Female farmers' knowledge was limited to practical and sensory aspects, and intercropping did not increase soil nutrient content due to socioeconomic factors like poverty.
Equity & displacementCommunityHealthWelfareOrganic cycleHow to Transition from Cooperations to Cooperatives: A Case Study of the Factors Impacting the Organization of Urban Gardeners in Benin
2019Mawuna Donald Houessou, B.G.J.S. Sonneveld, Augustin K. N. Aoudji, Fréjus THOTO, Smith A. R. Dossou, D. J. Snelder, Anselme Adégbidi, Tjard de Cock Buning · Sustainability · Benin
A study explored and compared international standards of prevailing organizations and their functioning among 261 urban gardeners in two cities in Benin. It found that a vast majority of urban gardeners are members of a cooperation. However, their membership is largely titular because gardeners mostly behave semi-autonomously, and few decisions are taken collectively. The obvious economic advantages of leveraging bargaining power, reducing transaction costs, and increasing possibilities for loans are seriously underutilized.
Governance failureCommunityEconomicsWelfarePolicyThe level of household food security of urban farming and non-farming households in the informal settlement area of the Cape Town Metropole in South Africa
2018Lategan F. S., Crous M. L. · South African Journal of Agricultural Extension 46(2):89-106 · South Africa
Comparing urban-farming and non-farming households in Cape Town's informal settlements, this study finds 78% severely food insecure; urban farmers were slightly more food secure but differences were not statistically significant.
WelfareEconomicsUrban Food Crop Farming and Farm Households’ Food Security Status in Oyo State, Nigeria
2018David Tobi Olaleye, Abiodun Elijah Obayelu, Omotoso Oluseye Ogunmola · Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce · Nigeria
This cross-sectional survey examined the influence of urban farming on household food security in Oyo State, Nigeria, using data from 159 farm households. The study found that 90.6% of the farm households were food secure. Probit Regression Model results indicated that age, household size, and economic efficiency reduced food security probability, while access to consumption credit and allocative efficiency increased it. The study concluded that urban farming significantly influences household food security.
Food sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareImproving Urban Food Security in African cities: Critically Assessing the Role of Informal Retailers
2018Jane Battersby, Vanessa Watson · Figshare · Africa
Recent research in African cities indicates that urban agriculture is not as important a food source for low-income households as often believed. Most African urbanites source their food from retail outlets, suggesting that solutions to urban food insecurity need to consider urban food marketing and distribution structures, rather than solely supporting food production through urban agriculture. This chapter reviews evidence supporting the argument that urban agriculture is not a primary food source for the poor.
Limited or null effectFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfareUrban agriculture and stokvels
2018Yolisa Wendy Sonti · · South Africa
A study of 152 stokvel members in South Africa's Nelson Mandela Bay Area investigated the possibility of using stokvels in urban agriculture. Findings revealed that stokvel members are aware of agricultural activities but do not use their stokvel funds for urban agriculture. However, there is interest among stokvel members in utilizing their funds for urban agriculture.
EconomicsFood sovereignty & justiceCommunityWelfareTHE DETERMINANTS OF FOOD SECURITY STATUS AMONG PERI-URBAN FARMING HOUSEHOLDS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA
2018ADERINSOLA M. AREGBESOLA · · Nigeria (Ondo State)
A study in Ondo State, Nigeria, examined food security among peri-urban farming households using descriptive statistics, a food security index, logistic regression, and the coping strategy use index. It found that 54.4% of households were food insecure, with a 62% calorie deficit for these households, while 45.6% were food secure, exceeding calorie requirements by 48%. Household income positively affected food security, while household size had a negative effect.
Limited or null effectPeri-urban agricultureFood sovereignty & justiceEconomicsWelfare